KPOP 4th generation · SM Entertainment
aespa
PAK ×22 songs with a PAK (iChart)Supernova317 timesSavage4 times
エスパ / 에스파
aespa is a four-member girl group from SM Entertainment. Start with Black Mamba, Next Level, Spicy, and Drama to hear the group's cyber-pop identity and performance scale.
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- 2020DebutNovember 17, 2020
- 4Members
- 4thGeneration
- MYFandom
Last updated:
01
In 30 seconds: aespa
Glossy pop hooks, avatar-inspired worldbuilding, forceful vocals, and sharply synchronised choreography define aespa's core appeal.
Choose aespa if futuristic concepts, powerful vocals, and highly produced performance videos are your fastest way into K-pop.
02
Key facts
- Group name
- aespa
- Reading / Hangul
- エスパ / 에스파
- Company
- SM Entertainment
- Debut date
- November 17, 2020
- Days active
- 2,182 days (5 years, 11 months)
- Debut song
- Black Mamba
- Generation
- 4th generation
- Fandom name
- MY(マイ)
03
Member guide
Profile comparison
| Members | Birth date | Blood type | MBTI | Nationality | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| カリナ | 2000-04-11ⓘ | 26 | 168cm | B | ENFP | South Koreaⓘ |
| ジゼル | 2000-10-30ⓘ | 26 | 164cm | O | INFJ | Japanⓘ |
| ウィンター | 2001-01-01ⓘ | 25 | 165cm | A | ENFJ | South Koreaⓘ |
| ニンニン | 2002-10-23ⓘ | 24 | 161cm | O | INFP | Chinaⓘ |
Ages are as of 2026-11-08.
Selected releases
04
Start here
Follow a few songs from the starting point to the group's current sound.
SYNK : COMPLaeXITY
Next Level MVChoose this first for aespa's switch-heavy song structure and instantly recognizable hook.
Supernova MVA later-era entry point that pairs metallic production with one of the group's biggest hooks.
LEMONADE MVUse the 2026 title track to hear how the group balances a brighter surface with its harder electronic edge.MV View in JapaneseDance Practice View in JapanesePerformance View in JapaneseLive View in JapaneseStage View in JapaneseAudio View in Japanese
View all official videos →05
From debut to now
- 2020Debuted on November 17, 2020 with the digital single Black Mamba, introducing a world built around the ae avatars and KWANGYA.
- 2021Next Level became a runaway hit, and the first mini album Savage showed how finished the group already sounded, putting aespa among the leading fourth-generation girl groups.
- 2022The second mini album Girls arrived, and a slot in the SMTOWN stage at the Coachella Valley Festival widened the group's live profile overseas.
- 2023The third mini album MY WORLD leaned pop with Spicy while the fourth, Drama, went dark, showing both poles of the concept inside a single year.
- 2024Supernova, the title track of the first full-length album Armageddon, jumped far past everything before it, and the fifth mini album Whiplash followed, keeping aespa on top of the charts through 2024.
- 2025The first single album Dirty Work and the sixth mini album Rich Man widened the sound audibly, with metallic textures, band instrumentation, and lyrics about self-worth.
- 2026After the Japanese single ATTITUDE and the pre-release single WDA with G-DRAGON on May 11, the second album LEMONADE arrived on May 29 with its music video published the same day.
Major tours
2023SYNK: HYPER LINEConcertSouth KoreaFirst solo concert
2023MY WORLD THE CONCERTWorld tourSouth Korea · North America · AsiaThe largest world tour by a fourth-generation girl group
2024SYNK: PARALLEL LINEConcertSouth Korea · Asia
2025-2026SYNK : aeXIS LINEAsia tourSouth Korea · Japan · Thailand · Hong Kong · Macau · Indonesia
06
Achievements
7 daesang · 22 awards · 3 chart No. 1s (compiled by KPOP DISCOVER, as of November 8, 2026)
Awards
Major wins
- 2025
Korean Music Awards KMA
- Song of the Year“Supernova”Daesang
- 2025
Golden Disc Awards GDA
- Song of the Year (Daesang)“Supernova”Daesang
- 2024
Melon Music Awards MMA
- Artist of the YearDaesang
- Song of the Year“Supernova”Daesang
- Album of the Year“Armageddon”Daesang
- 2024
Hanteo Music Awards HMA
- Best Artist (Daesang)Daesang
- 2024
Mnet Asian Music Awards MAMA
- Song of the Year“Supernova”Daesang
See 15 more awards
- 2025
Korean Music Awards KMA
- Best K-Pop Song“Supernova”
- Best K-Pop Album“Armageddon - The 1st Album”
- 2025
Mnet Asian Music Awards MAMA
- Fans' Choice Top 10 – Female
- Best Choreography“Whiplash”
- Best Dance Performance – Female Group“Whiplash”
- Best Female Group
- 2025
Golden Disc Awards GDA
- Best Digital Song (Bonsang)“Supernova”
- Best Album (Bonsang)“Armageddon - The 1st Album”
- 2024
Melon Music Awards MMA
- Best Female Group
- Best Performance
- 2024
Mnet Asian Music Awards MAMA
- Best Music Video“Armageddon”
- Best Choreography“Supernova”
- Best Dance Performance – Female Group“Supernova”
- Best Female Group
- Worldwide Fans' Choice Top 10 – Female
Sourced award records (13)
Daesang (grand prizes)
7 recordsMost recent ceremony first, then by category
Program / edition
| 39th Golden Disc Awards | Supernova | Digital Daesang (Song of the Year) | event-api.hll.kr | |
| MMA2024 (16th) | Armageddon | Album of the Year | www.xportsnews.com | |
| MMA2024 (16th) | Artist of the Year | www.xportsnews.com | ||
| MMA2024 (16th) | Supernova | Song of the Year | www.xportsnews.com | |
| 2024 MAMA AWARDS | Supernova | VISA SONG OF THE YEAR | www.cjenm.com | |
| 1st Korea Grand Music Awards | Grand Honor's Choice | kgma-is.com | ||
| 1st Korea Grand Music Awards | Grand Song | kgma-is.com |
Song of the Year
4 recordsMost recent ceremony first, then by category
Program / edition
| 39th Golden Disc Awards | Supernova | Digital Daesang (Song of the Year) | event-api.hll.kr | |
| MMA2024 (16th) | Supernova | Song of the Year | www.xportsnews.com | |
| 2024 MAMA AWARDS | Supernova | VISA SONG OF THE YEAR | www.cjenm.com | |
| 1st Korea Grand Music Awards | Grand Song | kgma-is.com |
Album of the Year
1 recordMost recent ceremony first, then by category
| MMA2024 (16th) | Armageddon | Album of the Year | www.xportsnews.com |
Artist of the Year
1 recordMost recent ceremony first, then by category
| MMA2024 (16th) | Artist of the Year | www.xportsnews.com |
Charts and PAK
Peak chart positions
- SupernovaGaonNo. 1DigitalGaonNo. 1StreamingBillboardNo. 17Digital
- MY WORLD - The 3rd Mini AlbumGaonNo. 1Physical
- Hot MessOriconNo. 2Physical
- WhiplashBillboardNo. 8Digital
Perfect All-Kill (PAK)
2 recordsNewest release first (iChart does not publish achievement dates)
Provider record list at the time of retrieval. Changes before the first observation are unknown. (some episodes unverified)
Music show wins
Records
16 recordsMost recent broadcast first
Program / edition
| M Countdown | LEMONADE | CJ ENM / Mnet | |
| Music Bank | WDA (Whole Different Animal) (Feat. G-DRAGON) | KBS | |
| M Countdown | Rich Man | CJ ENM / Mnet | |
| M Countdown | Rich Man | CJ ENM / Mnet | |
| M Countdown | Rich Man | CJ ENM / Mnet | |
| Inkigayo | Dirty Work | SBS | |
| Show! Music Core | Dirty Work | MBC | |
| M Countdown | Dirty Work | CJ ENM / Mnet | |
| Music Bank | Whiplash | KBS | |
| M Countdown | Armageddon | CJ ENM / Mnet | |
| M Countdown | Armageddon | CJ ENM / Mnet | |
| M Countdown | Armageddon | CJ ENM / Mnet | |
| Show! Music Core | Supernova | MBC | |
| M Countdown | Supernova | CJ ENM / Mnet | |
| Inkigayo | Supernova | SBS | |
| M Countdown | Supernova | CJ ENM / Mnet |
Sources and data (13)
Source: announcements by each award ceremony and official chart
m.live.melon.comKorean Music Awards 2025 - aespa 'Supernova'Korean Music Awards 2025 - aespa 'Supernova'Korean Music Awards 2025 - aespa [Armageddon - The 1st Album]2025 MAMA AWARDS WinnersHanteo Rewind 2025 - aespa2024 MAMA AWARDS WinnersThe 39th Golden Disc Awards WinnersBillboard Global 200 - 2024-11-09oricon.co.jpBillboard Global 200 - 2024-06-08Circle Chart Week 21 2024Circle Chart May 2023 Retail Album Chart
KPOP DISCOVER editorial policy and sources View in Japanese
Each record is checked against its source. These are within the collected period, not lifetime totals.
08
Solo and unit activities
Unit activities
10
Official links
Official site
Official social accounts and platforms
Shopping guide
Verified English shopping links are not yet available.
12
KPOP DISCOVER's aespa note
What makes aespa strong is that the world is rigid and the four voices inside it fit together. The ae and KWANGYA story introduced on Black Mamba has been restated with a different sound every time: the tempo switch of Next Level, the sinking pull of Drama, the roar of Supernova, the edited coldness of Whiplash, the band instrumentation of Dirty Work. This is where SM's fourth-generation girl group stopped explaining a concept and started playing it.
Karina's gravity, Giselle's flow across three languages, Winter's steady middle register, Ningning's climbing high notes. The pressure the four of them make standing side by side is harder than anything from their fourth-generation peers, IVE, NewJeans and ITZY. Listen to the singing alone, or watch the precision of the performance videos and dance practices, and the footing of four members who never break formation wins either way.
The second album LEMONADE, released on May 29, 2026, and the pre-release single WDA with G-DRAGON mark the point where aespa is testing whether it can win outside KWANGYA rather than simply continue it. Play Next Level, then Supernova, then LEMONADE, and within six minutes it is clear why the group is still at the centre of the charts and the award shows in 2026.
Editors' take Next Level / Supernova / LEMONADE — three songs run the group from its world, to its biggest hit, to where it stands now.
Trivia worth knowing
Debut
aespa were SM Entertainment's first fourth-generation girl group, and the debut song Black Mamba passed one hundred million YouTube views faster than anything else in the label's history.
Record
Next Level is a remake of a song by A$ton Wyld from the soundtrack of a Fast & Furious spin-off film. It peaked at No. 2 on the Gaon digital chart, and 27 weeks in the top 10 was the longest run by a girl group at the time, in 2021.
13
Japan activity score
KPOP DISCOVER original metric
No. 62/ 241 groups
No. 62 of 241 groups with recorded activity in Japan (top 26%)
- 4Japanese releases
- 11Japan-related tracks
- 1Members from Japan
- 2Official Japanese accounts
The denominator is the 241 groups, out of 564 covered by KPOP DISCOVER, whose raw score reaches at least one point. The score adds 10 points per Japanese-market release, 3 per Japan-related track, 12 per member from Japan, and 8 per official Japanese account. Japanese-market releases carry the most weight because they are the most direct evidence of activity; related tracks add track-level detail; members from Japan stand for Japanese-language communication and continuity; official accounts stand for a permanent point of contact. The weights are an editorial judgement, not a statistical optimisation, and the ranking tracks release volume in Japan closely. Source: releases, tracks, members, and official links recorded by KPOP DISCOVER (updated 2026-11-08).
How this score is calculated → View in JapaneseFrequently asked questions
What defines aespa?
Glossy pop hooks, avatar-inspired worldbuilding, forceful vocals, and sharply synchronised choreography define aespa's core appeal.
Why should a new listener start with aespa?
Choose aespa if futuristic concepts, powerful vocals, and highly produced performance videos are your fastest way into K-pop.
Which songs should a new listener try first?
Start with Next Level, Supernova, LEMONADE, then continue to the official video index.